


Flaws

by Bexii



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Gladio is a good boyfriend, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Ignis Scientia Needs a Hug, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-27 04:13:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20942084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bexii/pseuds/Bexii
Summary: Hug Ignis WeekDay 1 Prompt - Hugs/Family & FriendsSet during Brotherhood.Ignis tells Gladio that him and Noctis have had an argument and he is unsure what is to happen now. Gladio is determined to be there to comfort his partner and help sort things out. Hugs occur.





	Flaws

**Author's Note:**

> Slightly rushed, I admit. I am not too impressed by this but wanted to do SOMETHING for Hug Ignis week lol

**Flaws**

Gladio frowned as he slurped his noodles, ignoring how the sauce splashed up and covered his beard in tiny splatters. The food was delicious – a favourite from a small noodle bar in some tiny back alley. He had stumbled across it when he had been training late one evening, and rather than taking a car home; he had walked the distance by foot. However, getting caught in a sudden rainstorm had caused him to seek shelter in a small shack down a beaten alley. That little shack was a tiny noodle bar, run by an older man and his young grandson. Gladio had tasted some of the most flavoursome noodles that day and sought to frequent the restaurant as often as his diet would allow.

He had brought a large carton of noodles and pork dumplings, more than enough to share with Ignis. It was his treat, and he had a sneaking suspicion that if he were not there, Ignis would be forgoing all food in favour of coffee and a long night of work. That man did work hard – too hard - and it pained Gladio more than he was willing to admit, especially when he could see the bags growing darker under the other man’s eyes each day. Another thing that concerned Gladio was Ignis’ increasing dependency on coffee, primarily when used as a means of avoiding sleep because, how can one work when they sleep, Gladio?

After one particular night where Ignis fell asleep while they were making love (“If I nod off, just carry on – I’m sure to wake after a few moments!”), Gladio took matters into his own hands. While there was nothing he could do to lighten Ignis’ council workload, he could step in with Noctis. He had managed to negotiate with Ignis into taking Noctis to school two days a week and picking him up for another two, sometimes three if council meetings ran over. Honestly, Gladio is pretty sure that the only reason that he is allowed to take Noct to school in the mornings is due to the promise of bringing the prince a well-balanced breakfast, handmade by Jered himself, and the fact that Gladio would be taking Iris to school, so it was not a burden at all, Ignis! 

The arrangement worked. Gladio noticed colour returning to Ignis’ features and the dark circles were slowly beginning to lift. His spirit lifted too. He started to smile more and stress a little less – only a little. However, Gladio took that as a massive win. The fact that he had allowed Gladio to bring him what was essentially street food spoke more than words ever could. He had told him that he was looking forward to trying these incredible noodles and was hoping to use the flavours for possible inspiration to future dishes. After that, a quiet night and possibly more?

So why then, was Ignis frowning as he pushed his food around his plate, barely eating more than a mouthful, and sighing more than he usually does?

“Iggy, everything alright?” he asked after taking a bite of his food and washing it down with a sip of water. 

“Yes, everything is perfectly alright, Gladio. The food is marvellous, by the way,” he replied.

Gladio raised a brow. Placing his chopsticks down, he pushed his plate to one side and rested his elbows on the table. “How can you tell when you’ve barely eaten a bite? C’mon, what’s eating you? Spill.”

Ignis inhaled, placing his eating utensils down, and exhaled with more force, as he leant on his elbows, using his hands to cover his eyes. Under normal circumstances, he would brush this off and just his fancy words as a defence mechanism and deflect all issues, sometimes with biting remarks, depending on who was enquiring. However, this was Gladio, and he was more than aware that the other man would not take no for an answer and could give back just as well as Ignis threw. There was more to Gladio than just muscle, just as there was more to Ignis than an icy disposition. Both had spent years meticulously pulling apart the layers that hid who they truly are, falling in love during the process and not looking back or regretting a thing.

No, Ignis loved and respected Gladio far too much to brush his concerns off and try to deflect the situation. However…

“It is not something you need to concern yourself with, Gladio. There is no situation at all, so I am uncertain why I am reacting in such a manner. Everything is as it should, and as it has been for a long time now. Perhaps I am merely tired and in need of a good night's sleep. It’s just…” 

“Just?” Gladio probed gently, knowing exactly when and how to reach Ignis when he acted like this. As much as Gladio wanted to charge in headfirst and demand to know what exactly had caused Ignis to hurt, he knew that would cause the other to retract into himself. This was just a carefully constructed waiting game.

Ignis burrowed himself deeper into his hands, and it took everything Gladio had not to reach over and take Ignis into his arms, never letting go.

“I just… never realised until today that Noctis and I are not friends, merely a duty and that is all.”

Gladio blinked. He had not expected that at all. What on earth was going on? Ignis had to know that Noctis, while socially awkward and quite the troublesome brat at times, worshipped the ground Ignis walked on.

“Iggy, what are you talking about? Of course you are.”

Ignis shook his head as he removed his hands from his hands. He looked forward with a turned-down smile, eyes lowered. He pushed his glasses up. “I had assumed also. Growing up together, his highness and I were inseparable, as you are more than aware. I knew my duty and what was to be expected of me, even at such a young age. It mattered very little though - Noctis made it very easy to be around. He was a quiet child, yes, but filled with much life and had such an inquisitive nature. He wanted to know everything and anything, and as his future advisor, it was my duty to provide him with all the knowledge he required. It was enjoyable though, even if I was the one reprimanded for being dragged out of the Citadel to stargaze and other activities – I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

Growing up, I did expect things to change - naturally, both Noctis and I are maturing – some at a more accelerated rate, mind you. I did not, for one moment, imagine that our friendship would be affected.

I try my very best though, Gladio. Every day. When Noctis approached His Majesty in requesting to be allowed to live away from the Citadel, I testified on his behalf with the promise that should anything go awry, Noctis would be immediately brought back to the Citadel.   
I took it upon myself to make this transition as easy as possible for Noctis. I take care of all the household duties as a means of relieving him of the mounting pressures of schoolwork and his increasing royal responsibilities. I also ensure that his diet is fully catered for, as I am aware of just how much of a fussy eater he can be at times and if left to his own devices, he would consume nothing but poor nutritional takeaway meals or nothing at all.  
However, getting him motivated to do anything that does not involve video games has become such a chore of late, and I am spending more time battling with him than ever before. It can be exceedingly draining at times. I see all the potential he has and it pains me to see him squander it away, without so much as a second thought. I fault myself more than anything if I am perfectly honest - I should try harder, do more.  
We argue now, also. As I said, I fault myself. I have always held myself to such high regard whenever Noctis is involved, and I have never raised my voice to him. I have never had a reason too.  
However, I informed Noctis that I was not his servant and that he was expected to cater to his own needs if he wishes to continue with his independent living. That he is not a child and that one day he would be expected to run the whole of Insomnia. How could he do that if he was unable even to do something simple as washing a dish or keeping his school work organised?  
He informed me that, technically, I was – it is my job after all. He then opened the door and told me to leave him be.”

Gladio was unable to believe what he was hearing and watching Ignis’ features so obviously distraught, his lips worrying and his brows pulled tautly, caused his blood to boil. He clenched his fist. Noctis needed to sort this out and right now!

Before he knew it, he was at Ignis’ side, softly caressing his face and gently bringing Ignis’ eyes to meet his. “Ignis, you know that’s not true, right? Noct says shit he doesn’t mean all the time,” he told him, kneeling so he was able to rest his head against Ignis’.

Ignis swallowed down a hiccup, closing his eyes. “You weren’t there, Gladio. This time, he truly did mean it.”

Gladio brought Ignis close to him, pressing gentle kisses to the man’s sandy brown hair and rubbing his hand across his back, trying his hardest to ignore Ignis shaking and the slight wetness he felt in the cruck of his neck.

“Everything will be fine, baby. I promise you this,” he said, reluctant to let the man go as he felt Ignis pulling out of his grip.

“Yes,” Ignis replied, removing his glasses and rubbing at his reddened eyes. “I am afraid I have lost my appetite. My apologises, Gladio.”

Gladio shook his head. “Think nothing of it, Iggy. It ain’t anything that can’t be reheated later on. Why don’t I clean up and you can go grab a shower or something?”

Ignis smiled and moved to press a soft kiss to Gladio’s lips. “Thank you. I truly do not deserve you, Gladio.” 

Gladio deepened the kiss, revelling in the feel of Ignis’ soft lips against his and the small whimper that left his mouth. “You deserve the world, Iggy, and one day I’m going to give you that,” he said, pressing one last kiss to Ignis’ lips.

Ignis quietly laughed. “I have no doubt that you will either.”

Gladio watched as Ignis left for the bathroom and waiting until he heard the tell-tail noise of the door closing before pulling out his phone and dialling a number he knew by heart. The person answered almost immediately. “Noctis, get your fucking ass over to Ignis’ apartment right now and sort this shit out! Iggy sure as hell does not deserve to think you hate him because you can’t pull your head out of your ass long enough to see when someone is trying to help you. Get. Here. Now.”

He hung up the phone before even waiting to hear what Noctis’ response was. He was too angry at the minute to listen to the younger man try and talk his way out of this. Yes, he understood that Noctis was his prince, but that did not give him the right to treat people the way he was doing recently. This had not been the first time that Ignis had confined in Gladio that he was struggling with Noctis and was at a loss of what to do at times. Gladio did not wish to mention that perhaps if Ignis did not give in to Noctis as often as he did, then maybe things would have turned out differently. No, he chalked it up to adolescence and going through that awkward stage in life where the whole world was against you.

However, seeing Ignis like that and hearing what he thought. No, something had to be done and the only one who could right this was Noctis. Gladio just hoped that Noctis did the right thing, which he knew he would. Noctis was a good kid. Arrogant and lazy a times, but a good kid.

He saw Ignis coming out of the bathroom, hair still wet from the shower, glasses gone, and wearing a pair of blue sweat pants and a white tank top. Honestly, Gladio wanted nothing more than to ravish Ignis there and then, but even he knew that the timing was inappropriate. Lucky for him, his thoughts were interrupted by a quiet knock on the door. Gladio knew precisely who it was, but the slightly confused expression on Ignis’ face showed that he was not expecting anybody.

Gladio quickly moved to open the door and saw Noctis standing in the doorway. He looked as if he had thrown on the first outfit he could find from all the clothes that were more than likely strewn about his room – training pants, his school shirt and what looked to be two different shoes on his feet. He avoided looking Gladio in the eye as he bit his lip and held his arms close to himself.

“Is Ignis here, Gladio? Can I… can I see him please?” 

As much as Gladio wanted to console the boy, for it was evident that he was riddled with guilt, he could bring himself to forget what Ignis had looked like telling him what had transpired that day.

“Get in,” he said, motioning with his head.

Before he was able to shut the door fully, he could already hear the worry in Ignis’ voice as he addressed Noctis. _Even after everything that has happened, Ignis still cares so damn much for that kid_, he though_. Don’t fuck this up, Noct_. 

Noctis took a step inside the apartment and locked eyes with Ignis, seeing the worry that was so clearly evident in his green eyes. Worry for him. Before he knew what was going on, he rushed forward and threw himself at Ignis, wrapping his arms firmly around him and burrowing his head to his chest, repeating the words _“I’m sorry, Ignis. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it – any of it. I’m sorry. Please_.”

Ignis was stunned but reacted automatically, wrapping his arms tightly around Noctis and bringing him as close to him as possible. Roles were suddenly reversed, and now he was comforting Noctis in a similar way that Gladio had done for him.

“It’s alright, Noct. Everything will be alright - I promise you,” he said softly, carding his fingers through the boy’s hair. He looked up and locked eyes with Gladio, who stood near the door, arms crossed and a smile on his face. “_Thank you_,” he mouthed to Gladio.

“_You’re welcome_,” Gladio mouthed back. 


End file.
